New Zealand fishing boat hauls in plane with body

Authorities suspect plane was flown by Auckland pilot missing since March

The crew of the San Kawhai was trawling for fish when they brought up a plane in the boat's nets. (Chris Gorman/New Zealand Herald/Associated Press)

The crew aboard a New Zealand fishing boat on Thursday hauled up a surprising and gruesome catch: a small plane with a body in the wreckage.

Authorities suspect the plane is a 5.7 metre aerobatic biplane that was home-assembled from a kit and flown by missing Auckland pilot Daroish Kraidy.

The crew of the San Kawhai was trawling for fish when they brought up a plane in the boat's nets at about 10 a.m local time., said Trish Sherson, a spokeswoman for fishing company Sanford.

Typically, trawl nets are dragged in a wide arc along the ocean floor to ensnare fish. Buoyancy can make it easier to lift heavy objects in the water than on land.

The 18.5 metre fishing vessel is one of Sanford's smaller boats and typically catches tarakihi, orange roughy and other species that live near the coast.

Kraidy's Acro Sport plane is the only plane listed as missing by New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority. Authority spokesman Mike Richards said the Acro is relatively lightweight and is made from aluminum and wood, with fabric wings.

Missing pilot battled depression

Kraidy, 53, took off March 25 from Ardmore airfield near Auckland. Minutes later, his plane disappeared from radar screens, leading authorities to conclude he either switched off the plane's transponder or was flying at a very low altitude.

Kraidy had previously flown in the World Precision Flying Championships. His ex-wife and daughter told Fairfax Media in May they believed his disappearance was deliberate after he had battled depression for years.

His ex-wife noted some similarities to the disappearance 17 days earlier of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, with 239 passengers on board. That plane has not been found.

Fishermen on Thursday transported the wreckage to a bay near Great Barrier Island, about 90 kilometres northeast of Auckland, where they met police.

Police said they were heading to the scene and would use a barge that could lift the plane aboard and transport it back to Auckland. They said they were contacting Kraidy's family and friends about the discovery.